Gensuikyo petitions for legislation of Three Non-Nuclear Principles

The Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) on April 20 submitted to the Foreign Ministry petitions with 20,000 signatures calling for the Japanese government to act on the elimination of nuclear weapons and legislation of the three non-nuclear principles.

Meeting with a senior foreign ministry official, Gensuikyo representatives demanded that the Japanese government propose to all nuclear weapons possessing countries to meet for talks to implement the undertaking for abolishing nuclear arsenals they made at the United Nations. They also called for the strict observance and legislation of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles (not to posses, manufacture, or allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan), which the Japanese government said is its official policy.

In the petition, Gensuikyo members were accompanied by Japanese Communist Party House of Councilors member Ogata Yasuo.

Ogata reminded the foreign ministry official that the U.N. General Assembly in 2000 adopted a unanimous resolution calling for the elimination of nuclear arms, which was proposed by the New Agenda Coalition organized by seven countries, including Sweden, Mexico, and Ireland.

He also referred to the recent moves of ASEAN countries towards the abolition of the nuclear arsenals and urged the Japanese government to act to promote such moves toward nuclear weapons abolition. (end)